


Caffeine and Trips

by TheStarrySkiesOfPalaven



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: Birthday Fluff, F/F, Fluff, Happy Birthday Max, Like... tooth-rotting fluff, Please schedule a dentist appointment after reading
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-21
Updated: 2016-09-21
Packaged: 2018-08-16 13:51:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,302
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8104843
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheStarrySkiesOfPalaven/pseuds/TheStarrySkiesOfPalaven
Summary: Max wakes up to freshly brewed coffee, as well as a surprise from Chloe.





	

**Author's Note:**

> HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MAX 'Actual Ray of Sunshine' CAULFIELD. <3 *sends huge amounts of love*  
> Massive thanks to Paula, for giving me an idea to implement in this, and Morven, for betaing. Love y'all. <3

The 21st of September 2016 was a quiet, peaceful morning in Portland, Oregon. The sunlight streamed through the window of one particular small apartment, illuminating the bedroom.

It also happened to fall directly onto the face of a sleeping Max Caulfield-Price.

An annoyed groan sounded from her, sleepily trying to shield her eyes; futilely, of course. With a sigh, she groggily groped around the bed in the hope of getting some morning cuddles, only to find it empty.

' _Chloe's gotten up already,_ ' she thought as she rubbed her eyes. ' _Must be past eight._ ' Opening her eyes, she blearily surveyed the room and began to get up. As she stood up, she let out a mighty yawn and ran her hands through her hair in an effort to smooth it over a bit.

' _Mmm... Mad Max needs her caffeine shot._ '

Max knew she had her "Zombie Face" on... but, then again, she always did in the mornings. She slowly made her way towards the kitchen, and the usual coffee Chloe left for her if she went to work before Max woke up. She could smell it wafting throughout the apartment, and quickened her pace slightly.

' _Coffee first, not looking undead later._ '

* * *

 

In the kitchen itself, Chloe Caulfield-Price was frantically checking every single detail around the kitchen/dining room of the apartment.

"Ok, again: banner?" she whispered to herself, looking up at the big rolled up banner saying ' _HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAX!_ '. "Check. Confetti?" she looked up at the containers ready to release them. "Chec-"

Chloe stopped as she heard the water start boiling, and went to the stove. She quickly grabbed the pot and poured the water into the prepared coffee mug; the smell of fresh coffee was soon wafting throughout the apartment.

"Fresh coffee: check," Chloe muttered as she carefully put the mug on the table. She looked around the room again, surveying it for anything out of place. After a minute of searching, she found everything in order.

Chloe took a deep breath. "Alright... gift?" she whispered, checking her pockets. Finding the papers, she sighed in relief. "Check."

She tried to calm her anxiety about it, but it was hard. Yeah, this was something that Max (and her by extension) had wanted since they were kids, but... what if she didn't want it anymore? What if they couldn't do it for some reason? What if she-

Chloe shook her head, taking several deep breaths. In. Out.

In. And out.

She sighed, sitting down on one of the chairs. This birthday needed to be perfect for Max.

Chloe sat there for about 5 minutes, fiddling with her wedding ring (as she always did when she was anxious) and running over everything in her head again when she heard soft footsteps approaching from the bedroom. Suddenly excited, she frantically got up to stand next to the fridge.

Max soon appeared in the doorway, looking around, disheveled. She quickly focused her gaze on the mug of coffee, making her way towards it rapidly. She sat at the table, grabbed the mug and took a long sip, letting out a satisfied sigh afterwards. "You have pleased your Queen, oh gracious coffee," she muttered.

' _Adorable,_ ' Chloe thought. She somehow managed to hold in her giggles.

A few more seconds passed before Max actually noticed Chloe and did a double-take.

"Wh- Chloe? Why aren't you at work?" she asked with a confused tilt of her head.

"Took the day off, Maxie," Chloe said. She grinned at Max widely, if a bit nervously. "Don't you remember what today is?"

Max scrunched her face a bit. "Um... Wednesday, right?"

Chloe shook her head, biting her lip slightly.

Max blinked for a few seconds, not coming up with anything. She let out a small laugh. "Alright, smartass... what-" she let out a yawn. "-what is today?" she asked, smiling and propping her chin on one hand while holding the mug in the other.

Chloe simply reached out towards a length of rope ( _'That wasn't there before... was it?'_ Max wondered), and pulled it.

In an instant, confetti rained from the ceiling and covered them both, as well as the majority of the room; then a large banner unfurled. Max was startled, looking around and catching sight of the banner. It read...

Max gasped and stared with her mouth slightly open.

Chloe, meanwhile, stood there with a massive smile.

After a few seconds of trying to say something (and failing), Max let out a big laugh and got up, hugging Chloe tightly. Chloe wrapped her own arms around Max just as tightly.

"Oh my god... Chloe! You-" she giggled, pulling back a bit. "-you dork. This is a bit much, isn't it?"

Chloe put a finger on her chin and pretended to think about it. "Mmmm... nope," she said, popping the 'p' and smiling at Max. "You deserve the best, y'know that."

Max let out a breathy chuckle and booped Chloe on the nose. "Thank you, Chloe," she said quietly, leaning up to kiss her softly. Chloe kissed back, pulling Max closer.

As the kiss ended, Chloe inhaled sharply. "Now!" Chloe exclaimed, clapping her hands together. "First of all, we're having dinner at the Portobello tonight!" she said, winking. "Made a reservation a while back."

Max gazed lovingly at Chloe, shaking her head slightly with a smile. "You're determined to spoil me today, huh?" she said.

"Yep!" Chloe replied, beaming. "Now... second of all... Time for your gift!" she said, putting her hand in her left pocket.

"Chloe... it's not something as extravagant as last year's, is it? I mean... after it literally exploded-" Max began, but was interrupted by a groan from Chloe.

"You ever letting that go, Max?" she asked despairingly as she continued fishing the items out of her pocket.

Max had to visibly bite her lip to stop herself from laughing. "Not in a million years, and you know it," she answered, her voice trembling from the suppressed laughter.

"Well... I do, but it can't hurt to make sure..." Chloe grumbled. "Aha!" she exclaimed, pulling the two pieces of paper out. She presented them to Max slowly; almost reverently.

Max took them gently, seeing that they were some kind of tickets. She looked at them for a few seconds, before she turned them over and started reading. A few moments later, she gasped loudly. Max looked up at Chloe with awe, while Chloe seemed to have doubled in nervousness after handing the tickets over.

"So... yeah," she said quickly. "I know we always wanted to see Paris when we were younger so I thought 'Chloe... why don't you start saving up slowly', right? But then I thought about when it would be a good time to give them to you since it's The Dream Trip and oh man imagining the majestic photos you'd be able to take was such a huge motiv-" Chloe was suddenly interrupted by another crushing hug from Max, who was suspiciously sniffling. Chloe hugged her back just as tightly, burying her face in Max's hair.

They stayed like that for a few minutes, before Max looked up at Chloe from the hug, and whispered "We're... going to Paris."

"Yes... yes we are," Chloe said, raising Max's hand and laying a gentle kiss on the back of it. "Happy birthday, dear."

Max let out a happy sigh, grinning at Chloe all the while. "Best. Surprise. Ever!" she said, before grabbing her mug to finish her coffee. She took a sip, then immediately spluttered. Chloe turned alert, worried.

"What is it?! Max?" she asked hurriedly.

Max's response was to spit out some confetti that got into her coffee.

They both looked at it, and then each other, before bursting into laughter.

 _They were going to Paris_.

It was going to be the trip of a lifetime.


End file.
